BRANTFORD – Bharati Sethi, a PhD candidate in Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work and lecturer in both the Master of Social Work and Bachelor of Social Work program, has once again been named a recipient of a Women’s Health Scholar Awards.

Sethi was one of only five women to receive the award in 2012-13, and one of only two to have the award renewed, of the eight total awards given out in 2013-14.

The Women’s Health Scholar Awards, worth up to $22,000 each, were established in 2001 with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and are administered by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). The awards were established to ensure Ontario attracts and maintains pre-eminent women’s health scholars who excel in the creation of knowledge about women’s health and translate that information into better outcomes.

“Receiving this award not only helps to bring further attention to my research, but recognizes the importance of immigration research that is aimed at fostering visible minority integration outside large urban centres,” said Sethi. “I would like to thank the Council of Ontario Universities and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for their attention to the health of immigrant/refugee women residing in small towns and rural areas.”

Sethi’s research explores the relationship between work and health for immigrant/refugee/visible minority women in the Grand Erie region. Employing the principles of Photovoice, women are given cameras to record their employment and health experiences. The participant-generated photographs, interviews and focus-group content show that while working conditions influence women’s physical health, deskilling and discrimination are key factors in determining their mental health and their decision to stay or leave their current employment.

“The renewal of Bharati’s Ontario Women’s Health Scholar award is well-deserved,” said Nick Coady, dean of the Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work. “We are very proud of her outstanding achievements.”

In addition to the Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award, Sethi has received a number of scholarships and awards including a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council ($150,000), Social Sciences Humanities Research Doctoral Scholarship ($20,000), and the Service Canada Educational Fund from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada ($18,000).